Abstract: A highly pure, white, solid amine oxide is prepared in high yield with minimal decomposition of the solvent by (A) reacting a tert-amine with a 15-20% stoichiometric excess of concentrated hydrogen peroxide at 50.degree.-55.degree. C. in the presence of controlled amounts of carbon dioxide and ethyl acetate until the reaction mixture contains 35-45 % by weight of ethyl acetate and less than 0.8% by weight of unreacted amine, (B) catalytically decomposing residual hydrogen peroxide, (C) separating the reaction mixture from the decomposition catalyst, (D) cooling the reaction mixture to 0.degree. C. to form a slurry, (E) centrifuging the slurry to separate the amine oxide, and (F) vacuum drying the amine oxide at ambient temperature--the reaction mixture being diluted to an amine oxide content of 25-30% by weight with additional ethyl acetate or a mixture thereof with a co-solvent, such as a low-boiling n-alkane, after the completion of Step A and prior to the beginning of Step D.

Abstract: A solid amine oxide is prepared by reacting a tert-amine with at least a stoichiometric amount of an aqueous hydrogen peroxide having a concentration of at least 50% by weight in the presence as the reaction medium of a normally gaseous material which (a) has a critical temperature <160.degree. C. and a critical pressure <12 MPa, (b) is in a liquefied, densified, or supercritical state in which it has a density of at least 0.1 g/cc, and (c) is present in an amount sufficient to maintain the reaction mixture stirrable throughout the reaction.

Abstract: Amine oxides, such as amine oxide dihydrates, which have become discolored by being prepared from tert-amines and hydrogen peroxide in a liquid medium constituting not more than 50% of the weight of the reaction mixture and in the presence of carbon dioxide are bleached by exposing them to visible light, preferably incandescent light having a luminosity of at least about 1750 lumens.